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Singapore Travel Guide – What to Do in Singapore

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:00:33 +0000

This is a report on what living in Singapore is like. It can also serve as a travel report for your next visit to Singapore. Singapore is a city in South East Asia and it is situated just underneath Malaysia and to the West of Indonesia. It is a very small island and presently has about 5millioninhabitants. It is very tropical and hot with temperatures always above 30C. It usually only rains about once a day for about half an hour but there are also periods (like now) when there is hardly and periods when there is more.

The majority of the population are Chinese descendants that came to Singapore in the early 1800s to work in the newly established port. Most of them speak mandarin although everyone in Singapore is taught in English with mandarin and Malay also being taught. The other 3 population groups are the Malays, the Indians and the Caucasians. All these groups have a very different culture and practice a different religion but Singapore prides itself on its diversity and everyone here seems to get on well.

Singapore is a very clean and safe place to live which is one of the reasons I like being here. All the streets are really clean and look beautiful and in many places they are surrounded by lush tree and plants.

So what can you do here as a tourist?

Explore the different cultures Singapore is the perfect place to go if you want to have a taste of Asia, but still like the luxury of a very clean city, people that speak English and fantastic shopping. Although it is a very modern city there are still places in Singapore where you can still experience the Asian culture.

Places to visit

Arab street: this is the traditional neighborhood of the Malay people. You can find the mosque here and some wonderful quaint streets with little shops.
Little India: As soon as you step foot in this part of town, most of the people on the streets are Indian as are the restaurants and shops and you really get a sense of being in India.
Chinatown: lovely antique shops, temples and many beautiful old shophouses makes this a fun place to explore.
Raffles Hotel: this place served as a place of tranquility for the Europeans in colonial times.

Today it is a lovely place to explore the museum, browse through some shops, have a drink at the long bar or sit on the outside terrace.

Enjoy the nightlife

Although Singapore seems to have a reputation of being ‘boring” the city is working hard to get rid of this image. The formula 1 race is now held here once a year and 2 casinos are being built. There are already many nice cafes and restaurants here. I just love to go outside in the evening with minimal clothes on when the temperature is so lovely and sit at one of the many terraces outside.

Places I like:

Clarke quay: if you think that Singapore is not a happening place then visit Clarke quay. A very bustling part of town with many trendy restaurants, bars and nightclubs. One place I like there is the 1NiteStand comedy bar where they have excellent stand-up comedy and life bands.
Although I now prefer Clarke Quay this is still a fun and happening place where many expats and tourists hang out.
Dampsey Hill: this used to be where the former British army barracks were, but it has now been turned into a trendy area with upmarket restaurants and specialty shops.

Holland village: a fun and casual place to meet up for drinks, coffee or visit one of the many restaurants.
Raffles Hotel long bar: traditionally THE place to go for a Singapore sling.
Hawker centers: if you want to eat the Singaporean way try one of the many hawker center where you can eat very cheaply.

Enjoy beautiful nature walks

Few cities are as green and luscious as Singapore. There are many places to go for a stroll and discover new trees and plants. Here are some of my favourites:

Singapore botanical gardens: beautiful big park with wonderful gardens
Bukit Timah nature reserve: for those that want to be in the jungle and have a more challenging walk
McRitchie nature reserve: lots of lovely and peaceful walks here.

From here you can also do theTree Top Walkwhich gives you a different perspective on the Singapore’s trees.
The Singapore zoo is a beautiful nature walk all by itself. The zoo grounds are wonderfully lush and of course it’s fun to encounter some amazing animals along the way.

Lots of activities for the kids

Singapore has a lot of interesting activities for children

Forest adventure: a fun and challenging course across trees and over water. Children love this!
Sentosa Island: too many activities here.

Some examples are: The luge, butterfly garden, laser show, trapeze, underwater world, dolphins, images of Singapore museum, beach, airlifts, dinosaur walk, etc. If you are traveling with kids then this would be the best place to stay.
Zoo and Night Safari: I believe that Singapore’s zoo is one of the best (if not the best) zoo in the world. Both zoo and night safari are fantastic so that will be a tough choice to make (or you can just do both)
Wet and Wild and Jurong Swimming complex: fun places for swimming, complete with lazy rivers and slides
Jacob Ballas children’s garden in the botanical gardens: a lovely free playground for the kids with water, cubby houses, slides etc (and shade for the parents to sit and chat).

The botanical gardens also have a lot of ducks and fish that children love to feed.
East Coast Park: this is a park next to the sea, although you should not expect to do a lot of swimming here. People come here for walking, rollerblading, cycling but there are also lots of activities like a fair, watersports, sailing, taiqi, fishing etc.

Go Shopping!

Singapore is famous for its shopping which is the people’s favorite pass time. There are so many malls here that I don’t think I will ever be able to visit them all.

Check these ones out:

General shopping: The most famous shopping street in Singapore is Orchard Road. Ngee Ann City is the home of Takashimaya, a big Japanese superstore. You will find many of the major brands here, and also the great book store Kinokuniya.You can walk from Ngee Ann City to Wisma Atria where there is a great variety of shops. Paragon is opposite Ngee Ann city and has a good variety of shops also. Another favorite is Singapore’s newest mall Vivo City which is close to Sentosa.

Sports: for sport shoes and lots of other sports articles go to Queensway shopping centre. But my personal favorite, as many of my local sport friends will know, is theThe Velocity Sports Mall at Novena square for some great deals on Adidas clothes.
Computers and electronics: Lots of variety of electronics and computers at Sim Lim Square. Another good one (less messy) is Funan DigitaLife mall. A good place for bargaining for electronics on Orchard Road is Lucky Plaza.
Singaporean: for Chinese products head to the Yue Hwa store.

Arab street is good for baskets, textiles, mats and dry goods. In the Tekka Centre you can buy gold, (Muslim) food and clothes.
Children: The Forum shopping mall tends to be focused on children but it is very expensive.

Close to Singapore

One of the great things of living in Singapore is that it is so close to a lot of other interesting places and you can take advantage of that as a visitor too. Malaysia, Indonesia (Bali), Thailand and other interesting countries are only a few hours away.

So if you would like to visit Singapore but still would like some relaxing days on a nice beach then you can combine it with a tropical beach in one of those countries. The closest to Singapore is Bintan Island which is a small Island in Indonesia. It’s very easy to get there from Singapore with a 40 min trip by ferry.

Of course I’ve only scratched the surface on all the things you can do here. To know more you will need to buy a good guide book like Malaysia and Singapore (Eyewitness Travel Guides) To view this report with links or to see other travel reports be sure to visit my website.

Author: Sylvia Van De Logt
Source: ezinearticles.com
Sylvia is a web consultant and web publisher. She blogs about all issues relating to leading your best life at http://bestlifeweb.com She also runs a web design strategy business and effective web design and promotion blog at http://escalawebstrategy.com

A Travel Guide to Prague’s Famous Museums

admin — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:37:16 +0000

Even at a time when the number of tourists interested in visiting places of historical interest has dwindled to some extent, Prague has maintained its repute as one of the most popular historical destinations of the world. The city with architectural splendors in the form of palaces, museums and galleries is a must visit for those who have a keen interest in history or architecture. This city never ceases to surprise people and has something new to offer at all times. As a result, it is commonly believed that one trip to Prague is not enough because it has a lot to offer.

Prague is known as the home to several well-known museums some of which that date back to the 18th century.

Lobkowicz Palace in Prague houses perhaps the most famous museum in the city. This vast palace has a museum that treasures some of the most precious art prices and antiques possessed by the Lobkowicz family. The Prague national museum is another well known museum in the city. Located in the Wenceslas Square, this museum is to be found inside a building which is the landmark of the Square.

Being the oldest museum in the city, the National Museum hosts several exhibits that reflect the glorious past of the country. In addition, this museum is known for exhibiting some rare paintings by world famous European artists.

If the National Museum is famous for reflecting the history of Czech republic, the Museum of the City of Prague is a tribute to Prague city. Its chief attraction is the 20 sq ft model prepared by Antonin Langweil which depicts the city. Furthermore, there are some unique sculptures and ancient artifacts housed by this museum.

Likewise, the National Gallery at Veletrzni Palace and Museum of Communism also deserve a special mention as these museums have depicted history from close quarters enabling visitors to travel back in time.

Author: Roland Poitevin
Source: ezinearticles.com
Roland Poitevin is a dedicated writer with a passion for business and environmental issues.

You can check out his new website at Island Range Hoods which helps people find the best new Range Hoods and information they are looking for relating to this subject.

Top 9 Argentina Travel Tips

admin — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:19 +0000

Argentina is a popular destination, but it’s important to note on any vacation that there can be cultural, geological and meteoroligical differences when travelling abroad that could potentially ruin your entire trip. While in some places the differences can be minor, in others you could deeply offend a person by doing something you thought to be kosher. Don’t let this happen to you, below are what I believe to be the top 7 Argentina travel tips.

Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to leave an impression of courtesy and enjoy more hospitality from the locals.

1. The most common form of greeting in Argentina betwen friends is kissing one anothers cheeks, so don’t be caught off guard when someone makes a lunge toward your cheek. And return the favour out of courtesy if they have.

2. Once in Argentina, one of main methods of transportation is underground shuttle, or by bus/trolley bus, or taxi. Their are 5 main public ral lines, labelled A to E and services operate from early mornng to late at night on a fixed-fare basis.

Buses are generally very crowded but are often the quickest means from one place to another.

3. Spanish is the offical language of Argentina, while English is widely spoken – don’t rely on everyone to speak English, you should at least get some basic Spanish down before travelling to Argentina.

4. More then 90 per cent of Argentina’s religious faith lies in the Roman Catholic church. Remember this as it does have an effect on what is kosher and what is not.

Argentina has 5 major airlines in an effort to make the big country smaller when travelling. Oddly enough, sometimes a flight will be faster and cheaper then say a bus or a taxi, so look into flying as a possible means of transportation for those slightly longer endevours.

6. You can get answers to most of your questions about Argentina tourism from the Argentina Tourist Information Center:

Secretariat of Tourism, Tourist Information Centers: Av. Santa Fe 883, (C1059ABC) Buenos Aires, Tel.

4312-2232 or 0800-555-0016; Ezeiza International Airport and Jorge Newbery Airport; info@turismo.gov.ar.

7. The official currency of Argentina is the peso, ills come in 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 pesos. One pesos equals one hundred cents. 2 pesos are blue, 5 pesos are green, 10 pesos are brown, 20 pesos are red, 50 peseos are grey, and 100 pesos are purple/violet.

8. Tips are somewhat outlawed in Argentina, though people still expect a tip in most situations – if that’s the case 10 percent of the bill as your tip will suffice for the most part.

9. The Argentina time zone is Argentina Standard Time, which is GMT -3 hours, and GMT -4 hours in the summer. So set your watches correctly!

And the best tip of all is to plan ahead, use caution and common sense, and most of all – have fun!

Author: Barney Garcia -
Source: articledashboard.com